Effects of checklist interface on nonverbal cockpit communications

The investigation described hereunder looked at the effects of the spatial layout and functionality of cockpit displays and controls on crew communication. Specifically, the study focused on the intra-cockpit crew interaction--and subsequent task performance--of airline pilots flying different configurations of a new electronic checklist, designed and tested in a high-fidelity simulator at NASA-Ames Research Center (ARC). The first part of this proposal establishes the theoretical background for the assumptions underlying the research, suggesting that in the context of the interaction between a multi-operator crew and a machine, the design and configuration of the interface will affect interactions between the individual operators and the machine, and subsequently, the interaction between operators. In view of the latest trends in cockpit interface design and flight-deck technology--in particular, the centralization of displays and controls--the theoretical introduction identifies certain problems associated with these modern designs, and suggests specific design issues to which the expected results could be applied. A detailed research program and methodology is outlined, and the results are described and discussed. Overall, differences in cockpit design were shown to impact the activity within the cockpit, including interactions between pilots and aircraft and the cooperative interactions between pilots. The research--which was performed on site at NASA ARC--served as the basis for Leon Segal's doctoral dissertation; Dr. Barbara Kanki served as his technical monitor and chief collaborator for NASA ARC and Prof. Chris Wickens as academic advisor. This research was supported by NASA-Ames University Consortium grant NCA 2-616.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio